Congressional failure

The federal government shutdown that took place Tuesday is not a political victory for Republicans. It is not a testament to holding important philosophical ground for Democrats.

Indeed, it is the best illustration yet of the dysfunction that permeates the executive and legislative branches of our government. No leaders of either major party should be standing up to take a bow. They should be covering their eyes with their hands in shame.

Both parties played a role in this debacle. Both deserve strict punishment at the polls when elections roll around.

The shutdown came about because some Republicans, including Utah Sen. Mike Lee, pushed to defund the Affordable Care Act, also known as "Obamacare." Lee makes some good point in his argument to defund the program. Thus far, Obamacare is rife with issues, not the least of which is some groups of people being allowed to delay implementation for a year while others are being forced to accept implementation after the first of the year.

It is that point that has many Republicans and even some Democrats, including Rep. Jim Matheson of Utah, urging for a one-year delay in implementation across the board.

Sorry, but if the ACA isn't firm enough yet for unions, it isn't firm enough for every other American. A one-year delay would be appropriate and, dare we say, fair.

On the other side, it would seem Republicans are willing to gamble with the nation's economy over a law that already has passed and is being implemented despite the federal shutdown. While they make good arguments against Obamacare, they fail to make strong enough arguments to justify putting millions of people out of work, even temporarily, and the ripple effects that closures of national parks and other federal buildings and programs will have on the economy at large, especially in tourism-dependent areas such as Southern Utah.

Instead of honest debate, compromise and reconciliation of differing bills, the so-called leaders in Congress have chosen to create a stalemate.

So, as federal buildings and other installations remain locked up in a government shutdown, we should all see this situation for what it really is: lack of statesmanship and a lack of real leaders doing the job for which they were elected.

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Congressional failure

The federal government shutdown that took place Tuesday is not a political victory for Republicans. It is not a testament to holding important philosophical ground for Democrats.